Barcelona are willing to let defender Marc Bartra leave this summer and Tottenham Hotspur are amongst the frontrunners for his signature, according to a report from the Mirror.

The 25-year-old has featured just 10 times in La Liga this season with Luis Enrique generally preferring other options in defence, and the Catalan club are thought to be ready to let the academy graduate leave on a deal which would include a buy-back option.

The centre-back has made a total of 89 appearances for the Barca senior side, and is also a fully-established senior Spain international, having won six caps including starting in the friendly against England earlier this season.

The Mirror reports that Spurs have been long-time admirers of the defender, and that Barca legend Carles Puyol, who now represents Bartra, allegedly met with Mauricio Pochettino recently to discuss a potential move.

However, there is reportedly a great deal of interest in the defender from within Spain, with clubs such as Sevilla said to be interested in signing him this summer.

Bartra has made just three La Liga appearances so far in 2016, with all of them coming as second-half substitutes, and as he moves towards the middle years of his career he is likely to be keen to want to secure regular first-team football.

The Spaniard would boost Pochettino's ranks, with Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Federico Fazio, and Kevin Wimmer the only players in the Spurs squad whose primary position is at centre-back.

Tom Nightingale

After starting to write about football due to lack of any great ability on the pitch, Tom is an NCTJ-qualified sports reporter who has written for Swansea City, the Birmingham Mail, and numerous other publications. An avid Aston Villa fan, he still hasn't got over them not turning up in the 2015 FA Cup final.